Bakgrund: Självskadebeteende är ett ökande fenomen bland världens ungdomar. Det har visat sig vara fler flickor än pojkar som självskadar. Psykisk ohälsa är en individuell uppfattning och därmed svår att definiera men det resulterar ofta i ett stort personligt lidande där en ständig kamp mellan gott och ont, lust och lidande pågår inom människan. Sjuksköterskan ska främja hälsa och lindra lidande och ett negativt bemötande har visats kunna förvärra ett självskadebeteende. Många med ett självskadebeteende har bemötts med kritik och känt skam över sitt beteende. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie var att belysa tonårsflickors upplevelser av bakomliggande orsaker till självskadebeteendet. Metod: Använd metod var kvalitativ innehållsanalys med induktiv ansats. Resultat: Ur analysen framträdde två kategorier: Utsatt för övergrepp och Känslostormarnas våld med fyra underkategorier Konklusion: Studien visar att övergrepp och känslostormar var bakomliggande orsaker och att flickorna hade svårigheter att hantera detta på egen hand. Sjuksköterskans svårigheter att bemöta tonårsflickorna med självskadebeteende kan relateras till kunskapsbrist. Studiens syfte uppnåddes då tonårsflickornas upplevelser av bakomliggande orsaker till självskadebeteendet belysts i resultatet, vilket kan ge ökad förståelse för sjuksköterskor i framtida vårdmöten. / Background: Self-destructive behavior is a growing phenomenon amongst teenagers in the world. It has proven to be more girls than boys who self-harm. Psychological illness is an individual perception and thus difficult to define but often results in a great personal suffering, where a constant struggle between good and evil, desire and suffering is going on within the person. A nurse shall promote health and alleviate suffering, and a negative attitude has been shown to worsen the self-destructive behavior. Many of the people with a self-harm behavior has been met with criticism and felt ashamed of their behavior. Aim: The aim of his study was to shed light on teenage girls’ experience of underlying causes of the self-destructive behavior.  Method: The used method was a qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach.. Results: From the analysis of the data material emerged two categories emerged: The victim of abuse and the violence of emotional storms with four subcategories. Conclusion: The study shows that abuse and emotional storms were the underlying causes and that the girls had difficulties to handle this on their own. Nurses have difficulties to meet teenage girls with a self-destructive behavior related to their lack of knowledge. The study's aim was achieved when the teenage girls' experience of what is behind the self-harm was highlighted in the results which may increase understanding of nurses in future treatment sessions.

Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Body image and dating relationships are two of the most important topics in the lives of the female adolescents. Yet, not much South African research has been done on either of these themes with adolescent populations and no research could be found to investigate a possible relationship between these two important aspects, both internationally and locally. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to investigate the potential relationship between female adolescents’ body image and their romantic relationships. Specifically, the aim was to determine if a relationship existed between participants’ self-rated attractiveness and body dissatisfaction, and their relationship status and romantic relationship satisfaction. There were two secondary aims. The first was to investigate how aspects like participants’ culture, age and body size were related to their body image and the second was to determine if aspects like participants’ culture, age and body size were related to their relationship status and satisfaction with their romantic relationships. Questionnaires were distributed to Afrikaans- and English- speaking White girls, Afrikaansspeaking Coloured girls and isiXhosaspeaking girls at four urban, coeducational, secondary schools and 511 questionnaires were completed. Participants selfreported their height and weight, self-rated their facial and bodily attractiveness on a 7- point scale, and completed two measures of body dissatisfaction: the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) Body Dissatisfaction subscale (Garner, Olmstead, & Polivy, 1983) and the Body Cathexis Scale (BCS) (Secord & Jourard, 1953). Participants also indicated their current relationship status using five categories: has never dated anyone, not dating anyone currently, casually dating one or more people, dating one person exclusively, and engaged or planning to marry, and completed the Relationship Assessment Scale (RAS) (Hendrick, 1988), a measure of relationship satisfaction. With regard to the primary aim of the study, results show that there were significant relationships between some of the measures of body image and relationship status for the total sample. In general, it was found that the girls who were involved in exclusive relationships at the time of the study had better body image than the girls who were not. Yet, results for this relationship were different for the different cultural and body mass index groups. With regard to the relationship between body image and relationship satisfaction, the Body Cathexis Scale scores significantly predicted participants’ satisfaction with their romantic relationships. Yet both weight and culture were also found to play a role in the relationship between body image and relationship satisfaction. With regard to the secondary aims of the study, culture was found to be related to body image, body mass index, relationship status and relationship satisfaction, while age played a role in participants’ body mass index and relationship status, and body mass index was related to body image, but not to relationship status and relationship satisfaction. Therefore, participants’ culture and body mass index were significant with regard to body image and romantic relationships, but was also found to play a significant role in the relationship between these two.

Thesis (MScSportSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There is a universal concern about the rapid decline in the physical activity levels of children, particularly adolescent girls. There is evidence of an increase in juvenile obesity that is associated with numerous health risks. During adolescence the majority of psychological problems associated with obesity stem from a disturbance in the self-concept. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between fitness, body composition and physical selfperception of a sample of 167 adolescent girls (14-17 years), and to compare these results with the results of similar studies from around the world. The results show a significant positive relationship (r = 0.47; P < 0.01) between levels of cardiorespiratory fitness and physical self-perception and significant negative relationships between percentage body fat and physical self-perception (r = -0.35; p < 0.01), as well as body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness (r = -0.47; P < 0.01). The results clearly illustrate the current prevalence of obesity associated with low cardiorespiratory fitness (due to inactivity) and low selfperception. The importance of being physically active for the physical and psychological well-being of adolescents is a valuably preventive and treatment measure. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die bekommernis oor die toenemende afname in die fisieke aktiwiteitsvlakke van kinders, veral adolessente meisies, blyk 'n universele verskynsel te wees. Bewyse is gevind van 'n toename in obesiteit by kinders wat verband hou met verskeie gesondheidsrisikos. Tydens adolessensie word die meeste sielkundige probleme wat verband hou met obesiteit deur 'n versteuring in die selfkonsep veroorsaak. Die doel van hierdie studie was om vas te stel wat die verband tussen fiksheid, liggaamsamestelling en fisieke selfpersepsie is. Die steekproef het bestaan uit 167 adolessente meisies (14 - 17 jaar oud) en hierdie resultate is vergelyk met die resultate van soortgelyke studies van regoor die wêreld. Die resultate toon 'n beduidend positiewe verband (r = 0.47; P < 0.01) tussen kardiorespiratoriese fiksheidsvlakke en fisieke selfpersepsie vlakke en beduidend negatiewe verbande tussen liggaamsvetpersentasie en selfpersepsie (r = -0.35; P < 0.01) sowel as liggaamsamestelling en kardiorespiratoriese fiksheid (r = -0.47; P < 0.01). Die resultate toon dat die voorkoms van obesiteit met lae kardiorespiratoriese fiksheid (as gevolg van 'n gebrek aan fisieke aktiwiteit) en lae selfpersepsie verband hou. Die belangrikheid van fisieke aktiwiteit vir die fisieke en sielkundige welstand van adolessente is 'n waardevolle voorkomende en behandelingsmetode.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

published_or_final_version / Clinical Psychology / Doctoral / Doctor of Psychology

No description available.

Tyrimo objektas: kognityvinės funkcijos. Tyrimo tikslas: nustatyti ir palyginti 15-18 metų šokėjų ir šokių nelankančių merginų kognityvines funkcijas. 1. Tyrimo uždaviniai: 1 - Nustatyti ir palyginti 15-18 metų šokėjų ir šokių nelankančių merginų darbinės ir verbalinės atminties rodikliai. 2 - Nustatyti ir palyginti 15-18 metų šokėjų ir šokių nelankančių merginų paprastosios ir sudėtingosios reakcijos rodikliai. 3 - Nustatyti ir palyginti 15-18 metų šokėjų ir šokių nelankančių merginų erdvinį suvokimą, strategijų plėtojimo ir vykdomųjų funkcijų rodiklius. Išvados. 1 - Nustatyta, kad verbalinės ir darbinės atminties testų rodikliai tiek šokių nelankančių merginų tiek šokėjų buvo panašūs. 2 - Paprastosios reakcijos rodikliai buvo geresni šokių nelankančių merginų, tuo tarpu sudėtingosios reakcijos rodikliai buvo geresni šokančių merginų. 3 - Šokių nelankančių merginų erdvinio suvokimo ir vykdomosios funkcijos testų rezultatai buvo geresni, tačiau strategijų plėtojimo rodikliai geresni šokėjų. Rekomendacijos ir pasiūlymai. Siekiant objektyviai įvertinti šokio įtaka kognityvinių funkcijų rodikliams yra tikslinga testuoti ir palyginti ne tik šokėjų ir šokių nelankančių 15 – 18 m. merginų grupes, tačiau nustatyti šokio poveikį, kai tiriamosios grupės testavimai vyktų prieš pradedant lankyti šokių užsiėmimus ir po numatyto intervencijos laikotarpio. / The object: of the cognitive functions. The aim: to identify and compare the 15-18 dancers and not dancing girls cognitive functions. Objectives: 1 - To identify and compare the 15-18 dancers and not dancing girls and verbal working memory performance. 2 - Identify and compare the 15-18 dancers and not dancing girls ordinary and difficult reaction rates. 3 - Identify and compare the 15-18 dancers and not dancing girls a three-dimensional understanding of the strategies and the development of executive function tests. Conclusions: 1 - It was found not dancing girls and dancers verbal and working memory test indicators were similar. 2 - Ordinary reactions were higher for not dancing girls, while difficult reaction was superior dancing girls. 3 – Not dancing girls a three-dimensional perception and executive function test results were better, but the development of strategies to perform was better of dancers. Recommendations and suggestions. In order to objectively evaluate the dance influence cognitive variables, it is appropriate to test and compare not only the dancers and the non dancing girls, 15 - 18 years groups of girls, but to determine the impact of the dance, when the research team testing conducted prior to attending dance classes and after the intervention period provided.

This study is a content analysis of female-oriented magazines aimed at three different age groups: women, teen, and preteen. Magazine content from Girls’ Life, J-14, Seventeen, Cosmo Girl!, Cosmopolitan, and Glamour was examined for themes of sexuality, romance, and the opposite sex. The evidence suggests that topics are presented to women in a progressive manner in which preteen girls are first learning about the opposite sex, teens are learning how to behave in order to attract the opposite sex, and women are being told how to please the opposite sex erotically. While the idea is never overtly stated, it appears that women are still sexual objects for men’s pleasuring. However, they are also in charge of “taming” the man and making him knowledgeable on topics of sexuality and romance. / Department of Sociology

The aim of this research, Reading Selection as Information Seeking Behavior: A Case Study with Adolescent Girls, was to explore how the experience of reading fiction affects adolescent girls aged 13 through 15, and how that experience changes based upon four activities: journaling, blogging, a personal interview, and a focus group session. Each participant reflects upon works of her own choosing that she had recently read. The data is evaluated using content analysis with the goal of developing a relational analysis tool to be used and tested with future research projects. The goal of this research is to use the insights of the field of bibliotherapy together with the insights of the adolescent girls to provide a higher, more robust model of successful information behavior. That is, relevance is a matter of impact on life rather than just a match of subject heading. This work provides a thick description of a set of real world relevancy judgments. This may serve to illuminate theories and practices for bringing each individual seeker together with appropriate documents. This research offers a new model for relevant information seeking behavior associated with selecting works of essential instructional fiction, as well as a new definition for terminology to describe the results of the therapeutic literary experience. The data from this study, as well as from previous research, suggest that literature (specifically young adult literature) brings the reader to a better understanding of herself and the world around her.

The problem of this study was to isolate some of the characteristics of tenth-grade girls which may lead to early marriage. The characteristics studied were: sibling rank, influence of a broken home, parents* education and occupations, mental ability, aptitude, scholastic achievement, study habits and attitudes, and personal problems identified by the subjects. A further problem of the study was the effectiveness of each of the characteristics in predicting the marriage of high school girls.